There will definitely be one new face involved when the Newcastle United players report for pre-season this summer.
While the club are working hard behind the scenes to make new signings with Tosin Adarabioyo heavily linked, there are no guarantees that any signings will be made in time for pre-season starting.
That will be the ambition for Eddie Howe, who, like any manager, wants to get as much business done as early as possible. In a perfect world, we can complete swift deals for the likes of Tosin and Lloyd Kelly, both of which are available on free transfers.
Away from incomings and outgoings, pre-season is also about young players trying to make an impression, and Eddie Howe has now confirmed that one of Newcastle United‘s aspiring stars will get the chance to do just that.
Eddie Howe shares what Newcastle United have decided to do with Yankuba Minteh
Having signed for Newcastle United last summer, Yankuba Minteh has not actually linked up with his Toon teammates as of yet. However, that is going to change in the coming months.
Eddie Howe was asked about the 19-year-old winger during his pre-match press conference before facing Manchester United, and confirmed that the teenager will be with the first-team when pre-season begins.
“The plan at the moment is that he will come back to us in pre-season and we will take it from there,” he said.
What Newcastle do next could be up to Minteh
Eddie Howe plans to take a closer look at Minteh, and he is a completely different player to the one the Magpies bought 12 months ago.
He has enjoyed a spectacular year on loan at Feyenoord, where he made his Champions League debut and helped them lift the KNVB Cup. Minteh has also been great in front of goal, netting his 10th of the campaign on Sunday. It has been a remarkable year in Rotterdam for Minteh, and there is a chance he could end up back there.
That is reportedly the expectation, with Feyenoord keen to loan him for a second consecutive season. That seems like the most sensible option, as it will allow Minteh to keep playing regularly and developing in a high quality league.
But it will all depend on what happens at Newcastle this summer. If Minteh performs so well in pre-season then there is surely a chance he could force his way into Eddie Howe’s first-team plans. And there is a greater chance of that happening if Miguel Almiron leaves, which Geordie Boot Boys has been told is likely.
Alternatively, Minteh could prove that he is not quite ready for Premier League football and would benefit from another year away.
Either way, Howe is going to look at him with his own eyes before making a proper decision, and it will be really interesting to see what the youngster can achieve in a Newcastle United shirt this summer.
The post 'He will': Eddie Howe now confirms 19-year-old player will train with Newcastle United in pre-season appeared first on Geordie Boot Boys.
